Ball catching glove



H. GOLDSMITH ET AL June 6, 1950 BALL CATCHING GLOVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 26, 1947 INVENTORS //U6'0 GOLDSMITH By /74 5577 flu. ra/v.

ATTORNEYS- H. GOLDSMITH ET AL BALL CATCHING GLOVE June 6, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 26, 1947 INVENTORS. H060 60L DSM/TH QKZMQ QZZZL ATTORN EYS.

Patented June 6, 1950 UIT ED STAT-Es B'AIJL GA'TCHIN G GIJOVE Application September 26, 1947, Serial No.7765346 4 Claims.

Our invention relates to a ball catchingglove such as abaseball glove, softball glove, fielders .g'love, .catcherfs mitt, and ,gloves .of awsimilarv :na- .ture that-are .used insports requiring the-patch- .ingof a ball.

.Ball catching gloves 'of the type to Which-our invention relates ordinarily have .a .web between the thumb and first .finger -Which-:assists in the catchingof theballfandprevents the ball slipping through this aperture vsin-the glove.

It is .an object ot-our inventionto provide a ball catching glove having a -w-eb..betw.een the thumb and .first :finger which is more-or less .in the fornrof a net .andwhich, besides preventing the slippage .oia ball between-the first finger and the thumb, (also snares ,and catches the ball {and henceretains it .in-the ,players hand.

It is .anobject of .our invention to provide a ball catching glove wherein the above described web may be easilyladjustedito conform to the preference of the wearer of the glove.

It ,is a further "object of .ouriuverition togp'rovide a glove wherein the web above referred to is'of relativel strong construction so as to P vent breakage, butat .the same'timeis'relatively flexible and soft so as not to interfere with the movement of the players fingers in catching or handling :a ball 101' other missile.

It is a further object of our invention to provide a ball catching (glove having :a web as described above, but which is preferably slightly resilient so as not to injure any other part of the body by accidental manipulation o'f'the'glove or to injure another :player.

These and other objects of our invention which will beset .forth hereinafter or will beapparent toone skilled in the art npon'reading this specification, we accomplish by 'thatcertain construction and arrangement ofparts 'of'which we shall now describe an exemplary embodiment. Reference is now made to the drawings which form a part thereof and in which:

Figure 1 is a front perspective view of our novel ball catching glove.

Figure 2 is a side perspective view of our novel ball catching glove showing our novel web.

Figure 3 is a, detailed view of our novel web.

Figure 4 is a cross section of one of the tubular web members taken on the section line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a modified glove with the laced seam open.

Figure 6 is a rear view of a portion of a modified glove with the seam laced.

Briefly, in the practice of our invention, we

= provide a web between the thumb-and. forefinger .of the glove ma'deup of tubular web members held :in .po'sitionpnthesglove and in reference to each other by lacingthrough the tubular members and through grommets in the material forming the thumb and forefinger of the glove. However, with some gloves having a laced periphery, it is idesirable to :hold someof the members in place by placing a'grommet inthe ends thereof andlacing through them with the lace normally used to lace up the periphery.

"While in the -=following description and 'inthe drawings we have illustrated a web composed of "a singlescentral tubular member and three'trans- "verse tubular members it is-to be understoodthat :difierent iesig-nsand di'iferent numbers or tubular members maybe-used without-departingfrom thespirit-of our invention.

The tubular members are preferably formed of soft leather sewn into tubes. However, other "material' may'be used,-as will be'apparen't to one *skilled in "the art.

Referring to Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings, the ball catchers glove 1 is composed of paddedfingers'z, and a padded-thumb'm'ember 3. Between the first-finger! and the thumb -3, We provide-a web-generally shown at 5.

The-Webb; as more clearly shown in Figures 2 and "is preferably formed of tubular members 6, preferably made-of'soit leather and sewn'together as'at "l to forma tube.

We preferably provide a central'tubular memher 1, which substantially bisects the angle between the thumb member 3 and the first finger member 4. We :also provide transverse tubular members :8, which span this angle. Grommets Qareplaced in the thumb portion and "th first finger portionl preferably in groups of two, opposite the :ends of the transverse members 8.

"The transverse members 8 are at. substantially 'right 'anglesand cross over the bisecting members I as shown in Figures 2 and 3. The tubular members 1 and 8 are all held in position by lacing H], which runs through the tubular members and through the grommets 9, as shown in the drawmgs.

In this instance, the lacing consists of a single continuous strand I0, which is first laced through. the top transverse member 8 and then through the grommets 9 on the thumb and finger of the glove. The lacing H3 is then brought back through the same tubular member and down through the bisecting tubular member 1. From that tubular member it is brought out through the next transverse tubular member and the grom- 3 mets 9 at the end. This is continued and the ends l and [0" are finally brought out together and tied in a knot H (see Figure 2).

From the above, it is apparent that each of the tubular members has the lacing l0 run through it twice or in double relation. This greatly strengthens the web 5 Without making it rigid. The use of a single lace l0 permits easy and quick adjustment of the web 5 to conform to the preference 0f the wearer of the glove.

In order to stiffen the web 5, we provide a rope-like core I2 within the tubular members themselves. This, besides slightly stifiening the tubular members, also has the advantage of creating a padded effect, which besides resisting the blow of the caught ball, prevents the web 5 from injuring the player or other players in any way. While the rope-like core 82 is of distinct advantage, we do not intend to limit ourselves to padding of this type or any padding at all, since it may be preferable in some cases to use a web such as we have described, without the core l2.

The seam l is preferably positioned towards the back of the web, so as not to interfere with the caught ball or missile.

Referring to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings wherein we have shown a modification of our invention particularly applicable to gloves having a laced periphery, such as basemens mitts, we have fastened the tubular members to the glove in a slightl different manner.

In this instance, the ends of the tubular members 8 are flattened and a grommet l3 placed therein. The web is thus held to the glove between the thumb and first finger by the peripheral lacing M of the glove ruiming through the grommet l3 which is positioned between the grommets l5 and [6, which are in the body of the glove and used for holding the same together.

It is to be noted that the ends of the tubular members 8 in this case are sandwiched between the front and rear surfaces of the glove so as to hide the end and the grommet [3, as more clearly shown in Figure 6.

In this case, the tubular members may or may not contain the rope-like core, and the central bisecting tubular member may be fastened to the transverse tubular members by lacing as heretofore described with the terminal end sandwiched between and laced to the front and rear junction of the leather at the crotch between the thumb and first finger.

From the above, it is apparent that we have provided a web for a ball catching glove which may be easily adjusted by the player and which will at all times catch and retain a ball attempting to slip through between the thumb and first finger of the player. It is also apparent that we have provided a web of soft and flexible construction, but which is extremely strong and durable and which may be easily adjusted by the wearer.

It is to be understood that modification may be made in our invention without departing from the spirit thereof, and we do not intend to limit oureslves otherwise than as pointed out in the claims which follow.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a ball catching glove having a laced periphery, a web between the thumb and first finger comprising tubular members having grommets in their ends with the peripheral lacing of the glove running through said grommets to hold the members in position.

2. In a ball catching glove having a laced periphery, a web between the thumb and first finger comprising tubular members having grommets in their ends with the peripheral lacing of the glove running through said grommets to hold the members in position, and a core of padding within the tubular members.

3. In a ball catching glove having a laced periphery, a web between the thumb and remaining portion of the glove comprising a tubular web member bisecting the angle between the thumb and remaining portion of the glove, transverse tubular members crossing the first mentioned tubular member and spanning the angle between the thumb and remaining portion of the glove, grommets in the ends of said transverse tubular members laced into the peripheral lacing of the glove and lacing running through said first mentioned tubular member and said transverse tubular members for holding the web in place.

4. In a ball catching glove formed of a front and back portion laced together at the periphery, a web between the thumb and remaining portion of the glove comprising tubular members having ends sandwiched between the front and rear portion of the glove with the peripheral lacing running therethrough and a single tubular member normal to all of said first mentioned tubular members and laced thereto by a separate single lacing running longitudinally through the last mentioned tubular member and transversely through the first mentioned tubular members.

HUGO GOLDSMITH. ALBERT HILTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,031,808 Whitley Feb. 25, 1936 2,255,726 Turner Sept. 9, 1941 2,414,004 Turner Jan. 7, 1947 

